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Old July 4th, 2015, 08:04 AM   #1
NevadaWolf
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Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012

Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles

Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 16
MOTM Jul '13, Jul '14
2015 Western Wander

My story begins last year, when I got home from one of the most epic trips I'd taken in two or four wheels. As soon as I got back I began thinking "Where to next?"

A few ideas came up, a monsterous 10-n-10 (10k miles, 10 days; alas I learned I burn out after three days hard riding), a National Parks tour (truck broke that caused my wallet to break also and lack of time), a trip down US Route 6 (tricky as the route back East nearly vanishes into the confusion of small town history). In the end, decided on a lot of mini goals vs one major goal.

GOAL: I'm attempting the Four Seasons Saddlesore, which is a SS1K on the day of the solstices and equinoxes. Since this is my summer vacation, the summer solstice is when I must be riding to claim credit. For 2015, those dates are:

Seasons of 2015:
SPRING EQUINOX: March 20, 6:45 P.M. EDT
SUMMER SOLSTICE: June 21, 12:38 P.M. EDT
FALL EQUINOX: September 23, 4:21 A.M. EDT
WINTER SOLSTICE: December 21, 11:48 P.M. EST

GOAL: Nevada started a State Park Passport program to encourage locals and visitors to get out to the various parks throughout the state. The cool thing is once you collect 15 stamps, you earn a free annual pass. I already have a park pass for this year, and decided since I haven't been paying for my visits I'll make up for it by promoting the parks on Twitter and Facebook and to anyone I meet along the way. NevadaWolf = unofficial roaming Nevada Tourism supporter.

GOAL: Meet up with @fishdip in Phoenix and head out to a road he recommended; The Devil's Highway, formerly Route 666, in eastern Arizona. Reportedly one of the, if not THE, twistiest road in the nation. How can you resist that temptation?

GOAL: This year is also the biennial Iron Butt Rally, officially starting on June 29th. As I now know many of the Riders I wanted to be there to support and cheer on my friends as they took off on the Olympics of the long distance riding world; 11 days, 11,000 miles.

GOAL: Since I'll be in New Mexico anyway for the IBR start, why not continue to add to my collection of In State Saddlesore pins? I already have Nevada, California, and Utah, plus planning on an Oregon one for the solstice ride. That'll leave Arizona, Idaho, and Washington to "complete" the West Coast.

GOAL: Ride the Pacific Coast Highway from somewhere just south of San Francisco (so I can ride the Golden Gate Bridge) to the Redwoods National Park since I've never been to either of those highly scenic places.

Ambitious? Totally, but I have two weeks and a Ninjette that loves to eat up miles faster than I can feed them to her.

In the end, just over 6200 miles were put on the bike. I had some issues, the biggest of which was a snapped clutch cable, but had a fantastic time seeing a lot of places I'd never been, meeting several Ninjetters and fellow LD riders, and reaching most of my goals for the vacation.



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Old July 4th, 2015, 08:05 AM   #2
NevadaWolf
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Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
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Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles

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Blog Entries: 16
MOTM Jul '13, Jul '14


Friday, June 19th, came and went easily. My customers had all given me the clear for my vacation so my workload was light on my last day. I took off at the end of the day, heading for Reno so I could continue north to Lakeview, OR. Grabbed a quick bite to eat, and got the wheels spinning along a familiar path.

It's interesting what bits of landscape will trigger memories. This is the route my Dad and I would take to my Grandparent's place in Fort Bidwell. Just outside Susanville as we would turn towards Alturas, the conditions at night would be just right to pick up an AM station out of Los Angeles, allowing us to listen to old time radio shows on our long road trip. There is also an older rest stop that had a really old water fountain that used a pipe from a nearby stream to divert water to the faucet. Talk about fresh!

Pulling into Lakeview, I spotted a few motorcycles already in the lot for the weekend. One was a shiny cruiser that sat glistening under the street lights, while the other was a flat dull bug encrusted beast with far too many lights and mounts for a variety of gizmos. Experience told me the second bike belonged to a fellow LD rider and a quick check of the plate revealed the IBA plate backer. Oddly I was reminded of canines checking each other out with a friendly butt sniff.



The owner's name is Woody, one of those fellows who just goes everywhere. He's done many rides that are on my bucket list and I had the interesting position of having done several rides on his bucket list. Good chat with him!

I had arrived a day before the solstice, relying more on a childhood memory of Lakeview and the distance from anywhere rather than the more accurate figures from the map, so chose to venture out and see the sights. A geyser was nearby and sounded really interesting.



Having got my shot, I started the bike and noticed it instantly began pulling forward despite the clutch being in. I put it back into neutral, pulled the lever a few times, and back into first where it began moving forward again. Figuring on checking it at the motel, I rode down the road a ways and went to shift into second. The clutch lever was suddenly loose, no resistance what so ever! I crawled forward to a dirt lot in first and parked - where I discovered the cable had snapped.



Some frantic phone calls later got me a replacement cable from a Reno shop, my incredible awesome father agreeing to deliver it to me, two very friendly folks loaning me their cell phone, and a chance to use my AMA Roadside Assistance to have a tow back to town (all 2.5 miles of it - had thought of pushing, but since this was supposed to be a quick photo shoot, I had NO stuff, no water, no straps, no snacks, nothing.)





Major props to Mile Hi Tire and Services in Lakeview, OR - who not only showed up about 5 minutes after AMA finished telling me they'd be 30 minutes, but were friendly, professional, and got me back to the motel with zero issues.

My Dad arrived about 3 hours later and we set about unhooking the old cable and ready to install the new one... that looked different. *growl* They'd sent the clutch cable for the wrong bike! This was for a KLX250, which made it much too long, had a metal bend that hit the coolant reservoir, and an end piece that barely fit. A quick call back to the shop to explain the problem got a promise of the correct one being ordered and accepting the wrong one back after I returned from my trip. (This is not the first time they've fouled up parts, not a happy customer and am no longer going to them).



Had a impromptu Father's Day dinner with my Dad and he headed back to Carson as I settled into get ready for my long ride tomorrow. Prefilled my tank as Oregon has this silly law that says folks can't fill up their own tanks (or in the case of motorcycles, can fill up the tank but can't operate the pump) so when they shut down for the night, there is NO GAS available.

June 21st, 2015 5:04am found me with receipt in hand and heading down the road. It was really pretty as the dawn was beginning to light up the sky and I saw a lot of the Oregon back country before there were too many people on the road. I made a roughly straight line towards Ontario on the Idaho border, stopping for gas once along the way, before connecting up with the interstate running back towards Portland. My midway 500 mile mark came just as I neared a great pull out overlooking the Columbia River and looking across towards Washington. I was making good time, feeling good with my energy and attitude, and enjoying the sights of a much greener state. Some friends even rode out to meet me at one of my southbound gas stops, where I was given an official Oregon Road Map made specifically for motorcyclists! Down towards Ashland, then a quick turn around to head back towards Klamath Falls. Arrived late at night, and got a bit turned around looking for the chosen gas station. But after venturing down a main road and seeing the stations all closed for the night, went to the first lit business I saw. Luckily, Wendy's was open so a small order of nuggets got me my ending receipt at 11:03pm. 17 hours and 59 minutes for the day. It was a good ride!







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Old July 4th, 2015, 08:05 AM   #3
NevadaWolf
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Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012

Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles

Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 16
MOTM Jul '13, Jul '14


My day started off slow. A loose chain required some tweaking and a GS rider nearby required some parking lot socializing. Turns out he was on a big trip from So Cal to Prudhoe Bay. I like seeing folks shorter than me riding bigger bikes because that gives me more confidence that eventually I can get a larger bike and be able to safely ride it.

Headed south towards Reno on the second leg of my adventure. I stopped at the Tulelake Internment Camp where Japanese Americans were sent first just for being Japanese, then later for answering No to a misleading loyalty questionnaire. A quick stop in Carson got the old cable with a homemade fix routed in case the new one failed along the way plus another quick tighten up of the chain (this is not a good sign). Then it was off towards Rye Patch Reservoir for my first State Park stop and a night of camping along the river. Met a really nice couple with their three boys heading to California to visit family and taking a road trip through parks and other scenic places. They invited me over for hot dogs and chips and we talked and shared stories around the camp fire.





Rye Patch Reservoir

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Rye Patch visitors enjoy camping, picnicking, fishing and water-skiing at the recreation area's 22-mile long reservoir on the Humboldt River just west of Interstate 80. Located 22 miles north of Lovelock and 50 miles Southwest of Winnemucca, Exit 129 will take you to the main park entrance, dam and campgrounds. Rye Patch is open year round. The reservoir has 72 miles of shoreline and 11,000 acres of water surface when full. The high water elevation is 4,135 feet.





The next day I woke up early, got packed up, and headed east for the next two parks on my list. I've now ridden I-80 several times and am starting to pick out my favorite points that I look forward to that'll break up the interstate monotony. I have also discovered that the backpack full of water I've been carrying around for two years has gotten unbearable and now strap it to the tail bag. AHH relief! Made it down to Spring Valley just as the sun was setting to set up my tent for another night under the stars. Jupiter and Venus are looking amazing these last few nights!



Wild Horse Reservoir

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Wild Horse State Recreation Area is located on the northeast shore of Wild Horse Reservoir. The 120-acre recreation area is an excellent focal point when visiting Wild Horse. Visitors to the area enjoy camping, picnicking, hunting, fishing and boating. Facilities include campgrounds, a trailer dump station, boat launch and ranger station. The park is open year-round, but access may be hampered by extreme cold and snow in winter months. Wild Horse Reservoir commonly boasts the state’s lowest winter temperatures. The park is located 67 miles north of Elko on State Route 225.




South Fork Reservoir

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
South Fork Reservoir covers 1,650 acres and is surrounded by 2,200 acres of wildlife-filled meadow lands and rolling hills. It is popular for hunting, camping, boating, picnicking, winter sports and wildlife viewing. The park is best known for its trophy-class trout and bass fishery. Facilities include a boat launch, campground, trailer dump station and picnic area. South Fork State Reservoir is located by traveling seven miles south of Elko on State route 227, 5.5 miles south on State route 228, and 3.5 miles southwest on Lower South Fork Road.




Spring Valley

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Spring Valley State Park is a popular area for fishing, camping and sight-seeing. Visitors also enjoy hiking, exploring and touring the historic Ranch House museum. The park is located 20 miles east of Pioche via State Route 322. Spring Valley State Park is open all year, although snow may make winter access difficult.






Wednesday morning saw me waking up to the sounds of birds. Again, it seemed I woke up before much of the rest of the campground so briefly had the place to myself. Then a morning jogger trotted by heading towards the lake. Time to pack up and head over to the next state park before continuing on down the road. Several things were on the agenda today, first and foremost getting gas in Pioche. I had always just taken US 93 past town, never actually gone in. What the heck have I been missing!?! Pioche is a beautiful little town with the most scenic main street I've seen (sorry Virginia City). Plus a really fun twisty road leaving town to head back down the mountain to the highway. I will not be missing this place in the future. A quick stop in Caliente for lunch even scored me a deal, 2 dogs and a soda for $1.07! Cannot beat that!









Then it was off to Echo Canyon, Cathedral Gorge, Beaver Dam, and Kershaw-Ryan State Parks.

Echo Canyon

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Camp, fish, hike and enjoy the beautiful Eastern Nevada scenery at Echo Canyon State Park. Echo Canyon State Park offers a 35-acre reservoir with a campground, picnic area, group use facilities and boat launch. Abundant wildlife, a wide variety of native plants and unique rock formations make exploration a favorite activity. The park is three hours north of Las Vegas, off Highway 93 by State routes 322 and 323. It is 12 miles east of Pioche and is about 12 miles from the Nevada-Utah border.
*Note the canyon to the east of the reservoir is a really fun, short, twisty road that is very very scenic. So glad I continue down the road vs just heading back to town for gas.





Cathedral Gorge State Park

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Cathedral Gorge is located in a long, narrow valley where erosion has carved dramatic and unique patterns in the soft bentonite clay. Trails abound for exploring the cave-like formations and cathedral-like spires. Miller Point, a scenic overlook just north of the park entrance on U.S. 93, offers excellent views of the scenic canyon. Shaded picnic areas and a tree-shaded campground area are open all year. Hiking, picnicking, camping, nature study, photography and ranger programs are the most common activities at the park.




Beaver Dam State Park

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Experience the peaceful splendor that is Beaver Dam State Park. The deep canyons, flowing streams, waterfalls, pinyon, juniper and ponderosa forests of Beaver Dam have beckoned people for centuries. Today, a visit to Beaver Dam State Park allows visitors to experience the pristine, natural beauty and primitive, rustic character that distinguishes this park from all others. The park is about three hours north of Las Vegas on the Utah border.
*Note, there is a 28 mile dirt road to access the park. 26 miles of it is hard packed dirt, with light washboard and a thin coating of loose gravel. Easily a 35-40 MPH road. The last two miles drop down into the canyon and have looser gravel, sharper turns, and more run off ruts. Still, Ninja friendly road save the very last section through the camp ground getting down to the parking area. That took some careful riding to pick out the right line.





Kershaw-Ryan

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Kershaw-Ryan State Park is situated in a colorful, scenic canyon at the northern end of Rainbow Canyon in eastern Nevada. Steep canyon walls tower to 700 feet and overlook a long, narrow valley. Early settlers in the area cultivated a garden of grape vines, fruit trees and a grass lawn surrounding a spring-fed pond, providing a beautiful contrast to the rugged landscape. A picnic area, children’s wading pool, playground, group-use area and trails offer visitors nature study, photography, picnicking and hiking. The park has a new 15-unit RV/tent campground. Kershaw-Ryan State Park is located two miles south of Caliente via U.S. 93 and State Route 317.




Suddenly realizing it was a lot earlier than I thought it would be, I headed south towards Vegas and the southern parks. Passing back through Alamo was a treat in bringing back the memories of the last two years taking part in the Team Lyle Alamo rides. I'm getting way too used to that Sinclair dinosaur sitting along side the road. The temps were also starting to climbing, though it had been a hot week anyway, and I was stopping more often to refill my water bladders and to resoak my LD Comfort sleeves and Harley vest. Ahhhhhh evaporation. However, As I was leaving Las Vegas to head to Spring Mountain, I forgot it was Wednesday and was there at 4:30pm. My route down Charleston Ave got me caught up in rush hour traffic, sitting way too long, facing a way too hot sun, with my water now out of reach behind me. I overheated after 30 minutes and spent the next hour resting in the shade of a gas station with a nice homeless woman who turned out to be just who I needed when I needed her. I enjoyed my conversation with her.

Next up was Valley of Fire, Old Mormon Fort, and Spring Mountain.

Valley of Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, dedicated in 1935. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs. Popular activities include camping, hiking, picnicking and photography. The park offers a full-scale visitor center with extensive interpretive displays. Several group use areas are also available. The park is open all year. Valley of Fire State Park is six miles from Lake Mead and 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas via Interstate 15 and on exit 75.
*Note, super super friendly Rangers here made my visit longer than expected. Had a nice chat with the Fee Booth lady who was so excited to stamp my book and the two Rangers in the Visitor Center who were excited to meet someone who'd been to most of the parks in the state already. My tour of the parks has turned into a meet the awesome folks who work for the parks.

I also goofed in Cathedral Gorge, thinking I wanted to get to Valley of Fire by nightfall. So, unthinking, I turned to the Valley of Fire page and stamped. Luckily caught the mistake before I left that park.





Old Mormon Fort

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
The first permanent non-native settlers in the Las Vegas Valley were a group of Mormon missionaries who built an adobe fort along Las Vegas Creek in 1855. The fort was called Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort. They successfully farmed the area by diverting water from the creek. Today, the park includes a remnant of the original adobe fort, which contains interpretive displays. The Visitor Center contains exhibits on the history of the site, as well as historic artifacts. Historic interpretation is and will remain the focus of the park. The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort is located in downtown Las Vegas, at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue. The Park and Visitor Center are open from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, year round.
Sorry no pictures. I pulled up at 4:35pm as the Ranger was closing things up. This is my second visit to the Fort so had been through the museum before. She was kind enough to stamp my book though could not open the museum up again for me to get pictures.

Spring Mountain Ranch

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park is located 15 miles west of Las Vegas, via Blue Diamond Rd., in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The many springs in these mountains provided water for Paiute Indians and later brought mountain men and early settlers to the area. This 520 acre oasis was developed into a combination working ranch and luxurious retreat by a string of owners who have given the area a long and colorful history. Past owners of the ranch included Chester Lauck of the comedy team “Lum & Abner,” German actress Vera Krupp, and millionaire Howard Hughes.




By now, I realized my chain had developed a rather ugly sounding clunk every time I began moving forward. My Scottoiler wasn't doing it's job and now I had a tight spot that was signalling the death of the chain, and taking my sprockets with it. I opted against camping at the next park and decided instead to hotel it at the Tropicana in Laughlin so I was rested, rehydrated, and ready to head over to some much needed repairs.

Props goes to River Rat Motorsports in Bullhead City for not only supplying the chain, but getting it installed quickly. Also picked up a SnapJack so I could deal with the chain easier since my oiler was on the fritz.

The final day in Nevada took me to the southern most park where I met a very friendly Ranger who let me hang out and chat as we told stories of our adventures and of the various parks and places around Nevada we both love to visit.

Big Bend of the Colorado

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Big Bend is one of Nevada's newest state parks, opening in 1996. Situated on the shores of the Colorado River below Laughlin, Nevada's southern tip, the park offers dramatic views of the river and surrounding mountains. Popular activities are picnicking, boating, fishing and swimming. The park also offers camping, hiking and group facilities. The town of Laughlin is also relatively new, and it offers many amenities including casinos, golf courses and an outlet mall. The park is within the Laughlin town limits, one mile south of Casino Drive on South Needles Highway.


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Old July 4th, 2015, 08:05 AM   #4
NevadaWolf
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Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
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Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles

Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 16
MOTM Jul '13, Jul '14


hi ho hi ho Arizona I go!

Headed east towards Phoenix and the heat really began climbing. The folks at River Rat said it was supposed to be 115° today and I think I hit that halfway to my goal. I was getting so hot I was stopping almost every hour for more water, more sleeve soaking, and more rest. My favorite was a "Roadside Table" sign that revealed covered picnic tables that I promptly took over for a nap at the Iron Butt Motel. zzzzz Eventually I made it to a shady parking lot and chose to park for awhile. A quick text to fishdip got me an escort back to his place, cold water, and the most welcomed air conditioning I've ever wanted. He took me to a local bike night where we hung out at Johnny Rockets for awhile chatting. And since he snapped that picture of me, HA



The next day was just a hang out with the animals while everyone else was off at work. Slacker day in the cold house was just what I needed.





Early to bed, early to rise. Get out of the valley before the heat settles in. We were off to Arizona SR 191 on the east side of the state, but it was going to take awhile to get there.



Once we reached Clifton we began a winding ride up through the middle of an open pit mine. Several times I ended up questioning if I was even following the right road! But by far the oddest thing was the MASSIVE town wall and gate that separated Clifton from the San Francisco River. No where to stop for pictures on that one, but it really reminded me of some ancient city fortress.

Edit: It's the town's levee, protecting it from floodwaters after a record flood in '83. First used in 2013.



After passing by the road control gates with a nice attendant who was blocking traffic to allow the super sized Tonka trucks across the road, we finally made it into the really interesting part. The road was a bit rough in patches, but looped and twisted and wrapped so much in around and over itself that at times I was glancing down the canyon and seeing ribbons of tarmac in every which way direction.





And then, hell froze over. Literally.

What had been building to a hot afternoon was changed by a wall of black rolling towards us. I pulled over (mainly to let the annoying truck and trailer get well ahead of us) to put the rain covers on my luggage. The rain started sprinkling as I was working. Then it got heavier, then darker, then colder. The rain kept coming down and now the road had thin rivers of water sheeting across. I pulled over and motioned the question if fishdip was OK. He gave the thumbs up (though later told me he hadn't heard me and was just agreeing anyway). We proceeded forward at a much reduced speed. I started noticing the "drops" were beginning to hurt and bounced off the bike. What was bouncing was bigger and white....

HAIL!

It started hailing heavy on us and I was faced with a tough choice. There was no where to pull over, the shoulder was a dirt slope that was now soaked with heavy rainwater, the trees offered no shelter as their trucks were bare for a good 10-15 feet up, and I did not feel safe stopping on the road itself for fear a car hitting the bikes or us. Stopping was out so the best choice I felt at the time was to keep going. Crawling along at less than 20 mph, I kept a close eye on the yellow center line and felt as long as I could see it, the layer of hail and water wasn't too thick.





I was cold and wet by the time we crested the mountain and began heading down out of the rain. The first gas station I pulled over and shed my water logged gear (REALLY need new gloves and pants) and donned my heated layers. Back down into the valley, we turned towards New Mexico and our goal of Albuquerque. I spotted a billboard for a cafe in Quemado and pulled over. Cold, tired, and wet wolves make for grumpy riders (no I do not need a hug. )



As we crossed the valley past Pie Town we passed by a surprising sign just at the top of what could best be described as a bump.


(taken a couple days later when I returned to this area)

And then later, passed by some HUGE satellite dishes


(again, taken later)

OMG IT'S THE VERY LARGE ARRAY!!!

We made it safely to Socorro where I texted my friends up in Albuquerque to see if they wanted to meet. One was busy, the other two were available. @Alex sent me a warning about the thunderstorm rolling through at that moment and I was dreading another hail ride. Luckily (depending on your viewpoint) I took a southbound exit due to the northbound ramp being closed expecting a turn around a short distance later. 9 miles later finally got off the interstate and got turned around and headed the right way. I'm convinced that 20 minute delay spared us the worst of the storm.

Arrived at Rally HQ where many of my friends from the Alamo event were out front talking. We pulled in, was greeted by everyone, and had a little party going on. Alex showed up, we chatted for awhile, then it was all down to looking at everyone's bikes.

Alex's bike in the impound lot for the Rally riders.


This has been a great day!
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Old July 4th, 2015, 08:05 AM   #5
NevadaWolf
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Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012

Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles

Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 16
MOTM Jul '13, Jul '14


Fishdip had to take off Sunday morning, so we said our farewells and I headed back over to Rally HQ to see what was going on (and to meet @Gregg_VA who was free this morning). Pretty much a picture day, though there was the First Out Of The Gate hair dye contest that I asked if I could be part of (the hair dye not the contest) since I'm sporting a small mohawk anyway.

Kurt Worden




My friend Hammy and Dale "Warchild"


I am a dork!


Gobs of bikes


Sunday at 4pm was when the Rider's meeting was, followed by the banquet. As I had no access to either, back to the motel to slack off for the evening. Monday morning rolled around and I headed over early to see the final preparations before the 10 am start time.

30 minutes to go, hide in the shade


Final inspection:


Go Team 250!!


Those being released first.


Go Hammy!!


Go Alex!!



After the riders were released, I met a few of the folks hanging out, including Mike Kneebone!! wow... Then I headed out to two of the places I heard about, Petroglyph National Monument and Sandia Crest House.







There were no visitor pins from Nevada! Had to fix that.


Twisty road down from the crest.


The next morning was time for me to claim my New Mexico In State Saddlesore. Routed a huge loop around the state to get a general sense of what NM was all about. Yeah, I missed a lot of really pretty places, but I also rode through some scenic areas. Including an uber flat region just as the sun was setting and the moon rising. That was incredibly awe inspiring!

But the morning was crappy...


Damn theft attempt! Luckily had the rear brake lock on overnight.

El Malpais National Conservation Area


Closer shot of the Very Large Array


Closed gas stations make for great rest stops


A successful ride!!
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Old July 4th, 2015, 08:05 AM   #6
NevadaWolf
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Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012

Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles

Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 16
MOTM Jul '13, Jul '14


Albuquerque had left it's mark and not one I was happy with. However, a friend who lives there came over to the motel to wish me a fond farewell and gave me a huge hug as a send off. Thanks Mark!

60 miles later, I pulled over...


Rode west again, taking I-40 all the way towards Barstow where I planned to begin heading north along the Pacific Coast Highway. Of course, one cannot go through Arizona without having some fun.





And then as I continued on, I found a really big hole in the ground.



By early afternoon though I was feeling beat. Tired, sore, low energy. Guess living off snacks and fast food for almost two weeks does a number on your health. I was tapped out and the 110° reported in Winslow was taxing my limited reserves. Ugh. Pulling into a rest area about an hour outside Needles I was going to rest.

A truck driver came over to me, saying she'd been seeing me all day as we played hop scotch. She'd pass me on the straights and I'd pass her on the hills. We sat and talked for a very long time and come to find out she very likely saw me last year at a rest stop outside Junction, TX. she described a rider with a similar bike and similar gear laying stretched out on the bike as I usually do. If true, that's really freaking cool that we finally met! She was heading off to sleep and I wished her a good night as I continued on. Needles called and Barstow was too far for this night, time to bed down.

The next morning I sat in the motel room and really looked at my remaining time. I was tired, my energy low, and the idea of riding through July 4th holiday traffic in the Bay Area sent me heading back into Nevada towards Berlin State Park. But, since I was in Southern Nevada, decided to visit a few other places first.

Lake Mead


I SAW A REAL ONE OF THESE!


Hoover Dam


The Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge


Got hot again outside Indian Springs so watched a drone land at Creech Air Force Base as I took another nap in the shade.


Storm was starting to build outside Tonopah.


And really got dark towards Hawthorne


WOW!!


Me Big Tough Motorcycle Rider! Hide from rain storm....


Opted to just head home vs fight the rain anymore, so a cozy night in my own bed gave me a rest morning to head out the final 100 miles to Berlin.

Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Berlin, a turn-of-the-century mining town, is preserved in a state of arrested decay. A trail through the town site tells the story of Berlin and its mine. Ichthyosaurs (pronounced “ick-thee-o-sores”) were ancient marine reptiles that swam in a warm ocean covering central Nevada 225 million years ago. Remains of these giant marine vertebrates are on display at the park’s Fossil House, and these official state fossils are a primary attraction for visitors from throughout the world. The park is east of Gabbs via State route 844.
*heavy flash floods a few days prior has rendered the roads rough and rocky with patches of gnarly ruts. I managed to stand on the pegs and ride though it but whee was it a wild ride. The Rangers are having heavy equipment come out to fix the damage.












Thanks for joining me on my vacation!!
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Old July 4th, 2015, 12:15 PM   #7
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Nice ride report Nevada Wolf!
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Old July 4th, 2015, 12:57 PM   #8
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nice write up.
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Old July 4th, 2015, 03:45 PM   #9
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This was a awesome report. Glad we got to do the ride and I am looking forward to are next one. It will be really awesome once you get the video done that hail was fun glad I had full gear on or it really would have hurt.
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Old July 4th, 2015, 07:08 PM   #10
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..........Thanks for joining me on my vacation!!
Fantastic pictures and places !!!

Thank you !!!

How did you solve the wrong clutch cable to ride the next morning?
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Old July 4th, 2015, 07:17 PM   #11
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Pliers and WD-40.

Made the bottom fit into the bracket at the bottom, rerouted the cable to go around the reservoir, and extended out all the adjusters to take up as much slack as possible. The top post thing fit into the lever, the bottom one was a really tight squeeze to get it to set in the bracket.

It mostly worked. Had to keep tightening things up as it was vibrating itself loose quite frequently.

Yesterday got the right part from the shop and installed it out in their parking lot.
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Old July 4th, 2015, 07:22 PM   #12
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Pliers and WD-40.

Made the bottom fit into the bracket at the bottom, rerouted the cable to go around the reservoir, and extended out all the adjusters to take up as much slack as possible. The top post thing fit into the lever, the bottom one was a really tight squeeze to get it to set in the bracket...........
Your emergency mechanic skills have greatly improved !!!
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Old July 5th, 2015, 07:26 AM   #13
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No shop mistake is going to ruin my vacation.
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Old July 5th, 2015, 10:01 AM   #14
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Terri, you are turning into a Legend !!
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Old July 5th, 2015, 01:49 PM   #15
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Damn you had one hell of a nice vacation
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Old July 5th, 2015, 05:24 PM   #16
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Wow! you had a packed 2 weeks!
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Old July 5th, 2015, 06:27 PM   #17
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Yep! Was trying to not give it all away on Facebook
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Old July 10th, 2015, 05:28 PM   #18
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"What HAPPENS in Puckerbrush, STAYS in Puckebrush! Where is this Teri? Google Earth couldn't even find it! LOL!
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Old July 10th, 2015, 10:15 PM   #19
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It's Mill City, the stuff in the background is the TA stop between Lovelock and Winnemucca. The sign is on the north side after you come off the interstate and head towards the station.
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Old July 14th, 2015, 08:41 AM   #20
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you are hardcore. Well done and great write-up!
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Old August 20th, 2015, 12:31 AM   #21
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Hey look, finally got my camera cleaned out. Have some video!

Link to original page on YouTube.
@Motofool, here's some long views of several western states.

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Old August 22nd, 2015, 10:21 AM   #22
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Hey look, finally got my camera cleaned out. Have some video!
......
@Motofool, here's some long views of several western states.
Thank you very much, Teri !!!
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